The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to maintain the National Security Agency’s warrantless Internet surveillance program.

What happened: Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which allows the NSA to collect electronic communications of “non-U.S. persons” who are “reasonably believed” to be outside the country, is due to expire next week. The House voted to approve its renewal for six years.

But: Senate approval and a Trump signature are both required before the deadline for it to remain law.

The case for: Reuters says that the White House and intelligence agencies consider the tool “indispensable” for surveillance.

Jamie CondliffeI’m the editor of news and commentary for MIT Technology Review. I put together our daily e-mail newsletter, The Download, from my base in London before everyone in the U.S. manages to wake up. I previously worked at New Scientist and Gizmodo, and I hold a PhD in engineering science from Oxford University.

Jamie CondliffeI’m the editor of news and commentary for MIT Technology Review. I put together our daily e-mail newsletter, The Download, from my base in London before everyone in the U.S. manages to wake up. I previously worked at New Scientist and Gizmodo, and I hold a PhD in engineering science from Oxford University.